


Stay for just one more drink

by jinglebin



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, Malec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 22:39:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6396838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinglebin/pseuds/jinglebin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Slept at Magnus' ?" Isabelle asked.<br/>"Didn't do much sleeping." answered Alec. </p>
<p>Trying to imagine what they talked about during drinks. TV!verse but inspired by the books.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay for just one more drink

"Duty calls." Alec said after hanging up the phone. He didn't sound particularly pleased.

Magnus was disappointed. He finally had a chance to spend some time with the intriguing shadowhunter and he was going to run out on him already.

"Furrowed brow. Maryse must be recruiting you for something... unseemly." Magnus said while raising his eyebrows.

"Listen, Magnus. I... I wish I... I, I could.. I, I don't know..." Alec stuttered.

Magnus silenced him by putting a finger over his lips. He wondered if Alec had ever done anything for himself. He'd always done what was expected of him. Magnus suspected Alec was usually glad to follow the rules, but he didn't seem to be now.

"I understand." Magnus said while removing his finger at which Alec smiled spontaneously.

"Stay for just one more drink? And then decide." Magnus said hoping to convince the shadowhunter.

"Alright." Said Alec. "Since we didn't even finish the first one yet."

He took another sip and grimaced again at the bitter taste.

"You don't drink much, do you?" Magnus asked with a grin.

“Well, the clave doesn’t really approve of alcohol.” Alec said.

“The clave doesn’t approve of fun.” Magnus muttered but he could tell Alec had heard him because the shadowhunter tried to supress a smile.

“And I’m not old enough to drink in the mundane world.” Alec added. He tried another sip and his expression soured. He put the drink down.

“Humans and their silly rules and they have kept changing them through my many lifetimes. Although they are very obsessed with age and when exactly you become an adult lately.” Magnus said.

“Many lifetimes? How many?” Alec asked.

“You know it’s not polite to ask aboout someone’s age. Let’s just say it’s long enough that I’ve had a ton of marvelous adventures. Did you know I’m no longer allowed in Peru?” Magnus said.

“You’ve been banned from Peru?” Alec said incredulously.

“Well, yes. But that’s a story for later.” Magnus said. He didn’t want to spend the limited time he had with Alec talking about his own crazy life. He wanted to learn more about him.

“Why don’t we sit down?” He asked Alec.

He stepped back and let Alec ahead of him. Alec sat down on the couch and Magnus placed himself in one of the armchairs putting his drink down in the meantime. It was still half full but it had only been a pretense to keep Alec around and he wasn’t finishing his. “I’m so glad you came when Jace asked you to.” Magnus said.

“I didn’t do it for him.” Alec almost spat.

Magnus gave a sad little smile. He had seen what happened with the demon and he could understand. It must be hard to be in love with one’s parabatai. He knew the rules of the clave. It was forbidden. He wondered if Alec had even admitted to himself that he was gay. Because even if Jace wasn’t his parabatai, the clave didn’t react to kindly to homosexuality. On top of all that Jace was clearly straight. Maybe that made him a safe object of affection because there’s no way he could ever returns Alec’s feelings.

“You’re not he first bonded shadowhunters I’ve met. I’ve met parabatai so close they were almost the same person.” Magnus said calmly.

“We used to be.” Alec murmured. “Before Cl-“ Alec cut off.

Magnus knew he’d been about to say Clary. He’d seen enough people in love to know that it is much easier to deal with unrequited feelings when you know you’re still the most important person in the other’s life. It is much harder when you see them fall for someone else.

“You’ll work it out. He’ll figure out he needs you soon enough. Let’s hope he doesn’t get himself killed in the meantime.”

“Why do you say that?” Alec asked.

“Well, it’s pretty clear that Jace and Isabelle usually go in guns blazing and you’re the one covering their backs.” Magnus answered.

“You’re right.” Alec said clearly wondering how Magnus could guess that so quickly.

“I usually am.” Giving Alec a dazzling half-smile.

“You know you’re a lot less brazen when there are no other people around.” Alec blurted out and he almost seemed ashamed of himself.

“I find that being overly confident can put people off in one on one conversations. I can turn on the charm some more if you like me better that way.” He said smiling cockily at Alec.

Alec’s cheeks flushed slightly and he had to look away from Alec’s gaze.

“Am I making you blush, Alexander?” Magnus asked teasingly.

“People don’t usually flirt with me.” Alec said fixing his eyes on Magnus. “Not with Jace around.”

“Their mistake.” Magnus said holding Alec’s gaze.

It was a flaw of humankind. People generally payed to most attention to whoever made the most noise. But Magnus had discovered that the people in the background were usually much more worth knowing.

“Why are you so interested in me?” Alec asked.

“Don’t you think you’re interesting?” Magnus countered.

“Not really.” Alec said silently.

“Do you at least think I’m interesting? Or are you just using me to avoid going home.”

“I don’t think anyone who has met you can think you’re not interesting.”

“Well, that will have to do for now.”

He backed off a little not wanting to scare the shadowhunter away. He tried to get Alec talking about himself. It wasn’t easy. He was so very different from all the Lightwoods he’d known. He was also different from most shadowhunters he’d known. He’d stayed behind and had cleaned the blood of his couch. Most shadowhunters thought they could call upon his services as they pleased since he was just a downworlder. They’d never thanked him or helped him clean up the mess they’d made. He knew Alec was avoiding the institute but he thought he might have helped him even if that hadn’t been the case. When he finally started talking he talked mostly about the people he loved: Isabelle, Jace, his little brother Max. He also loved being a shadowhunter and he loved his bow. He was proud of his proficiency at archery and Magnus knew he partly loved it because it was easy to protect Jace and Isabelle from a distance with his arrows at his disposal. Magnus had never known anyone who cared so little about themselves. Alec had launched into a story about his childhood but he hesitated when he mentioned his parents. Magnus understood instantly that they were the reason he was avoiding the institute. Whatever the issue there was, it wasn’t good because Alec looked guilty all of the sudden. Like he shouldn’t even be here.

“Do you want some tea? You didn’t really drink all that much from your cocktail.” Magnus said to fill the silence.

“Oh. Yes, why not.” Alec answered.

Magnus stood up and carried of the glasses to his tiny kitchen. He never actually used it. And he didn’t have any tea. He conjured some up, glad to live in New York where lots of places where open all night long.

When he came back Alec had fallen asleep on his couch. He looked peaceful, like the tension he carried around had fallen away. His mouth hung slightly open and it was utterly adorable. Magnus wanted to reach out and touch his face but he resisted the impulse. He decided not to wake him. Magnus didn’t feel tired. He usually didn’t sleep much. He grabbed a book from one of his shelves and sat back down. He tried to read but caught himself glancing at Alec way too often. He gave up after half an hour. He wished he could’ve let Alec sleep more but it was nearly morning. They hade chatted most of the night. He was sure they'd miss him at the institute if he stayed away much longer and knew Alec didn't want to explain where he'd been.

"Alexander." He said gently while lightly touching Alec's shoulder.

Alec's eyes fluttered open and he stared at Magnus's confusedly. Magnus got momentarily lost in Alec's eyes and the shadowhunter didn't break eye contact.

"Sorry to wake you." Magnus said. "And while you are welcome to spent the night at my apartment anytime it's getting pretty early and I thought you might need to get back to the institute." Magnus said with a flirtatious smile.

"You're right." Alec said while getting up. He looked at Magnus a little awkwardly .

"I... this was...uhm...fun." he stuttered.

“We’ll have to do it again sometime.” Magnus said.

He walked toward the door and held it open for Alec. Alec followed him towards the door and stopped in the doorway. He turned back at Magnus. He opened his mouth but didn’t seem to know what to say. Magnus understood he couldn’t really promise him anything. The confusion at his conflicting feelings was evident on his face.

“Goodbye, Alexander.” And he leaned into kiss Alec on the cheek and gently touched his arm.

He backed away and saw that Alec looked absolutely dazed. He didn’t seem to know what to do with himself.

“Uhm, bye.” He uttered and the turned around and almost sprinted away. Magnus lingered in the doorway for a bit. He heared a heavy thump which seemed to suggest Alec had fallen down the stairs. Magnus smiled to himself, glad he had affected Alec to the point that he lost his natural shadowhunter reflexes.

“That shadowhunter is going to break my heart.” He whispered to himself with a sigh.

 


End file.
